BIG AUDIO DYNAMITE INTERVIEW - MAY 1, 1987

Now here's an incredible piece of history, most of which has never been aired. On May 1st, 1987, I was lucky enough to be able to see Big Audio Dynamite at Irving Plaza in New York City. It was the day after I returned from my trip to Baffin Island so the contrast couldn't have been more dramatic. I was able to get backstage and have a brief interview with Don Letts and Dan Donovan from the band before the show. I don't know what it was, but we just clicked and were able to have some really good conversations about music, the world, life, etc. Don was particularly interested in my hacker connection and I got a great thrill seeing Mick Jones looking over a copy of 2600. I would realize over the years and during other times we hung out that these guys were so much more than a band; they were truly interesting people who had a fascinating world view and were a joy to talk to.

I was there with someone else from WUSB (whose name I completely forget and I feel awful about that) and we were able to secure legal IDs, not only from members of B.A.D., but also from Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys who happened to be backstage as well. But the way he talked to my colleague was awful and disgusting, which made that probably one of the worst IDs ever recorded by anyone. So, in a very brief period of time, we went from intelligence to idiocy. And that was the music scene.